Chuck producers Plan 'Stuff' For Long Break

[cylkoth]

In an effort to keep awareness of the show alive during the long break til March, Chuck's producers are in talks with NBC about creating web based...well, stuff, to wet fans appetites.

"We're talking to NBC now about what is going to be the super-clever idea to kind of bridge that time. It is going to be something on the Internet to keep fan awareness alive and remind people about the show," Fedak told SCI FI Wire in an exclusive phone interview.

Fedak added that Chuck, which was picked up for midseason by NBC, may appear sooner than the expected March 2010.

Chuck is set to air in its same timeslot, on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. That's good news for fans who lobbied NBC and key sponsor Subway for the show's renewal. But with Chuck's third season planned to premiere in March 2010, that's a very long wait. "We're excited to launch after the Winter Olympics and to launch also with NBC's other new show [Day One]. But schedules aren't written in stone for a reason. So you never know. Maybe you'll see us sooner than that," Fedak said.

Mild S3 concept spoilers contained in the full story-nothing I'd consider earth shattering, but some are sensitive to learning too much about upcoming plans-especially in this case, with the season so far away...
Producer: What to expect from Chuck's new season

Interesting tidbits revealed, one biggest being that they're planning for

Spoiler: S3

the entire cast to return, something that worried many due to the announced budget cuts.

 

[RoJoHen]

I want to read the spoilers, but I can't!

Ugh, March is so far away.

 

[the Dagman]

It is no secret that NBC made a deal with Subway to be Chuck's primary sponsor going forward. And it is no spoiler to say they haven't quite figured out how that is going to work.

I have an idea...

The shop that is the entrance to their Castle base was a "Weinerlicious" in the first season, and in the second it became the yogurt shop and they revealed Castle underneath it. And in the last episode both Chuck and Casey quit the Buy More, so they are now without cover jobs, and they left Ellie thinking that Chuck was moving up to better things.

So turn the yogurt shop into a Subway. And make Chuck the owner of the franchise.

They could say that the old owner of the location, "Sarah's boss", "retires" and offers to sell the franchise to Chuck and Sarah. Their cover is they take out a "business loan" to buy the location, decide to ditch yogurt for sandwiches and go into business together. Then they "hire" Casey to "work for them". And they could even hire Morgan when his Hawaii plans inevitably fall through.

This would quickly reestablish cover jobs for the three spies, as well as satisfy Ellie's expectations by having Chuck start his own business and be his own boss. Plus, the shop is right next to the Buy More. So they can keep whichever current cast members they decide to keep. It would also satisfy the nagging question of Chuck's absences from work, since as the boss he can work whenever he decides to.

So, what do my fellow BuyMorians think about that idea?

ETA: And I will wager that should Leno's fall prime-time show fail, as I am sure it will, we will see a rapid reshuffling of their schedule with Heroes moving back to it's 9pm slot and Chuck returning to it's old slot before the holidays.

 

[firehawk12]

It'd be ballsy, but they should try to do a DVD movie during the hiatus.
I think "webisodes" are okay for a mild distraction, but I don't think it's possible to tell any kind of interesting story in 2-5 minute chunks.

 

[intrinsical]

The goal of any internet "stuff" would be to enlarge the audience for Chuck. Word-of-mouth spreading stuff that can cause people who have never heard of Chuck, or have given up to take a first/second look.

While webisodes could do that, I get the feeling the stuff would be much more viral.

 

[cylkoth]

It'd be ballsy, but they should try to do a DVD movie during the hiatus.
I think "webisodes" are okay for a mild distraction, but I don't think it's possible to tell any kind of interesting story in 2-5 minute chunks.

I'd like it if they emulated Monk and Psych (and what Dr Who has done for decades), is make a special movie, or 'event hour' that runs in the middle of the break. All Who fans are anxiously awaiting each of the 5 hour long specials that are being spread through out the year, Monk and Psych started airing special eps in December which helps promote the retun of their seasons in late January. Chuck needs the same. A 2 hr movie in November would be cool.

 

[firehawk12]

The problem is that NBC doesn't have the hours, which is why DVD might be the only way to go. I just have a feeling that they'll go with the web, but unless they do something on the scale of Dr. Horrible, I don't think it's really worth it.

 

[TheBrew]

I didn't know that Robert Duncan McNeill directed the season finale. I generally enjoy the TV that he directs, so I hope that he returns.

RoJo, go ahead and spoil yourself. It's nothing plot related (well, maybe slightly), but is more a spoiler on the production.